1979 Predictions

[Commo_Soldier]

Brooklyn Brownstones
1978: 81-73
1977: 80-74
1976: 71-83

The 1978 season saw the Brownstones beat most people’s expectations as the team finished 2nd place in the division. This year the stones will look to improve and bet expectations yet again. Those around the league will no doubt take the stones seriously this year; while the owner is expecting nothing less then another banner.

Looking back on last year it was the hitting that carried stones, who finished the season a close second to the Peanuts in Offensive VORP. This year the offense has only seemed to improve. So now I introduce to you a position by position breakdown of the 1979 Brownstones Offense.

Catchers:
Yun-Ho Chong: This 24 year-old sensation was the #2 overall prospect of FOOL last year and he didn't disappoint the stones. His rookie season saw him bat .270/.372/.467. Including 68 Rs, 69 RBIs, 14 HRs, 24 SBs and a VORP of 45.0. This season hopes are high he will continue to blosom and challenge for the MVP.
Alfredo Alvarado: This 35 year-old still has pop in his bat and is expected to start in about 120 games this year for the stones at an unfamiliar 3B position. This will be a significant increase in his playing time from the 1978 season.
Matthias Fontaine: This 26 year-old once had high expectations associated with him. However, since his call-up in 1976 his skills have only diminished. This year he will see limited action as the backup C and 1B. The stones are hoping for his bat to come back to life so they will not be faced with a decision of whether or not he should be cut.

First Base:
Luis Mendoza: Brought to Brooklyn by the huge Guillermo Arrojo trade in the 1978 off-season he did not disappoint. Mendoza had his second best season ever with a 52.7 VORP behind only his outstanding 1975 season which was the 5th best all-time. The stones are hoping he does not regress after his contract year and has another great year.
Manny Roman: Manny came over from hated Baltimore last year and had the best year of his short pro career. While he started all 154 games last year, his role will be greatly diminished this year. With Alvarado playing 3B against righties he will only start against LHP.

Second Base:
Christian Larsen: The 40 year-old wonder is still among the games best at his position. In his two years at Brooklyn Larsen has seen his career pick up again. His VORPs in Brooklyn rank the second and third best in the past 12 years for him. There is little doubt he will perform again this year for the Brownstones.

Third Base:
Jericho Scott: Controversy has always surrounded this wunderkind. From his little league days to his first FOOL contract. Brooklyn is counting on great things from this modern era lesser version of MLB's Babe Ruth. The kid can pitch and is expected to be the Ace of the staff. Additionally he is being groomed to start at 3B in the next year or two. Expectations are certainly high here.

Shortstop:
Soh Endo: Endo has spent his past 3 years at Brooklyn’s AAA affiliate. While he has not been spectacular he has been serviceable. That is what the Brownstones are hoping he will continue as he will be batting in the 8 hole this season against RHP.
Manny Pena: Coming over from rival Toronto where he spent the past two years in AAA. Pena had some slight success in his final year there, in Brooklyn he will be the 7 hole hitter against LHP.

Outfield:
Rich Lang: The face of the Brownstones. Lang is a 10 time all-star, 3 time best fielder and 1 time MVP. Lang had a slightly below average season last year with a 53.7 VORP. He continues to be a huge threat with his season averages of .311/.408/.472, 83 SBs, 120 Rs, 80 RBI's and 46 doubles.
Edguardo Reyes: The 36 year-old veteran is another player who seems to find the magic touch when they put on the Brooklyn uniform. All Reyes did on his $2 million contract was become the MVP of the CL. Putting up the second best numbers of his career in batting: .332/.423/.492, with 89 Rs, 100 RBIs and 83 SBs. The stones are counting on similar success this season.
Dan Hurley: Coming off the second best year of his career which saw him go: .336/.409/.493 with 102 Rs, 56 RBI, and 60 SBs. With Hurley it is hit or miss every year, but he is fairly consistent and should put up similar numbers with the guys he has hitting around him.
Juan Medina: After an alright year in 1977 he was send down to AAA in 1978 for Richard McClure. The McClure move did not pay off, while Medina tore it up in AAA. This prompted the Brownstones to recall him and he will bat leadoff against LHP, while backing up the other OF's against RHP.


With all that talent hitting the ball, the Brownstones are hoping for improvement from their Pitchers. While they had some success last year, the front office wants greater success that will help propel them to the championship this year.

Starters:
Jericho Scott
Roger Fredrick: The hard throwing Fredrick is entering his third year as a Brooklyn Starter. Great things were expected last year from a man that had outstanding success in the minors. Unfortunately Fredrick struggled in his role as staff Ace. Roger has the talent to become a good starter and is on the cusp of having a year that sees him finish in the top 15 in ERA.
Weston Steward: Weston was Brooklyn’s First round pick just two short years ago. Thus Far Weston has improved greatly and is making a huge jump this year, skipping stops at AA and AAA. The Brownstones love his potential among other things. This Canadian should really be a “terror” in the near future as he could be one of FOOLs best in the next two years.
Gabriel Riggs: Came over to Brooklyn last year and promptly had the best year of his 10 year career. Last season saw him dominate hitters going 17-6 with a 2.76 ERA and finishing with a VORP above 45. Even with last years success Gabriel will only be the 4^th starter this year as Brooklyn is unsure if he will continue on the success he had last season.
Rob Goodwin: Rob has been a decent pitcher in the past when at the major league level having three seasons with an ERA at or around 3.50. Unfortunately he has also been less then spectacular with 4 seasons of an ERA greater than 4 and two of his past three seasons have been spent in AAA. Being the 5^th starter Brooklyn is just hoping for an ERA below 4 on the season.

Middle Relievers:
John Mockly: Mockly comes over from Rio Grande after posting three consecutive horrible years as their closer. Here Brooklyn will count on him as their go to guy in the middle innings and hope he will achieve the success he had in Rio Grande before his final three years.
Paul Martin: While not always spectacular Paul has been consistently above average; with an average ERA at 3.24, including 4 of a total 5 years with an ERA under 3.5. Brooklyn will turn to Martin again this year in Middle relief and hope that he will have the same success as he did in 1978 when he posted a 4-2 record with a 2.53 ERA.
Juan Valencia: Juan has bounced around the past few years and comes to Brooklyn after a one-year stint at Chicago’s AAA affiliate. In Chicago he posted a 2.30 ERA, Brooklyn will be glad to settle for an ERA below 3.25 in this spot though. There are some concerns however as a majority of his time in the majors his ERA has been above 4 and up to 5.36 the last year he was at this level in 1977with Texas.
Herbert Gray: This is a player who Brooklyn had serious thought about moving to the CL role this year. While Gray has great stuff, movement, and speed he has major issues with control. Additionally he has struggled mightily at this level so far posting ERAs above 5 each season. Brooklyn is hoping Gray will gain better command this year as he has the potential to be lights out and get that ERA down.

Mop-Up:
Bernard Sanders: While he has decent skills, Sanders is in this role because of the uncertainty surrounding him. He posted an above-average 2.94 ERA last season in over 70 innings of work. This is offset however by the 5.67 and 4.21 ERAs he posted in AAA the two years prior. A repeat performance of his 1978 season could net him a better job in 1980 while a poor performance could see him fighting to stay on the active roster.
Haden Watkins: Watkins like Gray has struggled mightily over the past two seasons posting ERA’s above 5 both seasons. Also like Gray, Watkins has good skills and the Brownstones hope one more year of seasoning will get him on the right track.

Setup:
Julio Gomez: Coming from rival Atlanta where he posted a 2.43 ERA last year Gomez will fill an important position for Brooklyn. His performance will need to rival that of when he was in the VL and averaging around a 2.75 for an ERA.

Closer:
Aral Kadri: This position has not been great for Brooklyn since 1976 when Chris Long posted a 2.64 ERA and saved 89% of his games, blowing only 4. Since then Brooklyn when to Mike McBride who had an ERA of 4.91 and save only 79% of his games in 1977. Then last year Brooklyn turned to Ray Howe who posted a 4.21 ERA and saved only 77% of his games. If the Brownstones can close the door they should win an extra 5-10 games alone. This year the Brownstones turn to Kadri who saved 84% of his games in AAA last year and 91% in AA the year prior. Kadri is a bright young 20 year-old that projects to be one of the top closers in the game. At least that is what the Brownstones hope will happen, if not the Brownstones will need to continue their search.

This season is going to be big for the Brownstones as they are entering their “win window” and need to win now. Last season they had the best team VORP in the CL and second best overall. They will look for an improved VORP this year with an improved pitching staff and a CL title to go with it.

Prediction: 1^st in CL

[ekcut]

Uggg...I have to agree with Commo (except for the 'hated Baltimore' part).

Brooklyn is looking pretty fierce!!

I wont be around tonight, as I have thanksgiving dinner with the in-laws, so I will not be here to witness Commo's return to fortune, and Muns continued dominance!

Goodluck all, and go easy on the hungover Gothams!! (8-16?!?!!? in ST are you frieking kidding me!!)

Oh...the new Gotham motto..."one more time in '79"
yep, if my players can mail it in in ST, I can mail it in rhyme time

[Cringer]

Rio Grande Roadrunners

We still don't know these guys. Oh wait, Tanaka is still playing? Cool. He is showing signs of dropping off? Oh crap. We have a new ace? We've had one before, didn't matter.

Prediction: 5th place in CL

[muns]

I think Valdosta and Rio are gonna surprise a few teams in the CL this year

[Cringer]

I do expect to improve this year, it's just a toss up to me if we actually do though. Pitching staff, from starters to bullpen, has a lot of new faces and is expected to perform better then we have had.

In the field and at the plate things are unknown for the first time in a long time. I have no great love for any players, but excited about some. We are pretty dang young really and that could play a huge role because I have no idea what some of these guys will do. If I had more time right now I would love to do a preview but I can't squeeze it in. I shouldn't even be typing this right now.

[Young Drachma]

CHICAGO THUNDERSTORMS
1978: 80-74, 3rd in the RL
1977: 74-80, 6th in the RL
1976: 76-78, 4th in the RL
1975: 89-65, FOOL Classic Champions

It seems like just yesterday, that Dark Cloud took over FOOL's worst franchise in the City of Chicago. A decade later, the team has seemed like a contender so long, that folks in town can barely remember those long days and nights.

It's been four years since the team claimed its first FOOL Classic title and desiring his 4th FOOL title in a year where he claims he'll retire for good, DC went out during the off-season and made bold moves aimed at trying to head off the juggernaut in Hartford and rising clubs like Long Island, Columbus and Compton at the gate.

PITCHING
Despite last year's offense which was arguably the second best in the RL last year, the pitching staff was among the worst in the league. Management was poised to fix this by selling off key players and becoming aggressive consumers in the free agent marketplace. The result is a staff with more combined strikeouts than any staff in the history of the league.

Part of that owes to the fact that they are so old.

The ace of the staff is Guillermo Arrojo, who returns after signing a bit free agent deal last year. He went 10-7 in 26 starts last year, but realizes more is expected of him if the T-Storms are to contend for the league pennant.

Returning for his second tour of duty with the club is Floyd Yarbrough, who won a title with the team during his last stint in '75 and won another title the following year in Hartford. He went 11-11 last year and some pundits say he's washed up. He's out to prove he's got a lot left in the tank.

John MacDonald is the constant in the rotation and hopes to improve on his 10-4 record last year, in just 25 starts due to the 6-man rotation the team used last year. It'll be a 5-man this year for sure, however, and much more will be expected of him.

Ite Beens (14-12, 3.98 ERA) comes over from league rival Colorado. At 27, Chicago hopes he can be a linchpin in the team's title winning hopes.

Pedro Silva is 25 and will finally get his shot in the rotation. T-Storms Nation hopes that he can finally live up to the billing after being acquired two years ago from Valdosta for Mac Rasmussen.

Bob Halpin, who began his career in Chicago before being dealt to Compton (by then-Brothers GM Dark Cloud) returns to the Windy City 13 years and 199 wins later. He's expected to be an anchor in the rotation as well.

With that rotation and the league's 3rd best bullpen back again this year, the T-Storms are expecting pitching to be the reason the team succeeds.

BATTING

Offensively, the team is led by an extremely familiar face. After a two year hiatus, Mac Rasmussen is back in Chicago and plans to end his career in T-Storms blue. He's still an offensive force hitting .308 last year for Valdosta and is expected to be a key part of the offense.

Joining him as a returnee is Anthony Payton, who despite losing his partner-in-crime in the 'Bangers and Mash' combination in Joey Higman, still expects to be a key component of things after hitting 22 HRs and 92 RBI. Together he and Rasmussen accounted for 185 RBI last year.

Other key components include Fernando Herrera who was floated on the trade block, but ended up staying and will be expected to blossom into the offensive force the team has always hoped he'd be. He hit .280 last year with 17 HRs and 82 RBI from the 6th spot in the lineup.

Jeremy Rigsby has been as good as advertised as a stolen base threat and as a run scorer, scoring 103 runs last year on .283 hitting.

Also joining the club to play 1st base is former batting champ and all-star Rich Haas who hit .309 last year in Colorado.

Outlook: In the end, it's going to come down to the massive renovations that were done on the pitching staff to determine whether this team is going to be able to have the chops to hang with the rest of the RL all year. How the rotation goes, will determine where the team goes and well, that's such a crapshoot that it's hard to say.

The issue here isn't the quality of the team -- they'd be the favorite in any other year -- as much as it's the juggernaut to the east in Hartford. In the end, 'Pooner nation and New England will be too strong to allow the Windy City Noisemakers a chance to send their future Hall of Fame owner out on top.

Prediction: 2nd place, RL

[TimGuru]

Originally Posted by muns

I think Valdosta and Rio are gonna surprise a few teams in the CL this year

Please continue to predict other teams than me, you cursed me last year.

I think my team will win more games but not be in the championship hunt. I have 3 SPs with astronomical STUFF but yellow CONTROL numbers. That should be interesting. The offense returns and is retooled from last year's sub par performance, I moved Evans back up to the 2 hole. Evans wins MVP in odd numbered years and I wouldn't mind that trend continuing. Zamora will play more. Berui cracks the ML roster as my #1 SP no less.

As usual, if I pitch better than the raw ratings would suggest, I have a chance to be a noisemaker. If my offense underperforms like last year, the noise you'll hear will be a thud at the bottom of the standings again.

[Young Drachma]

San Diego in the RL is gonna surprise people. They have arrived in a big way for sure.

Also, I think Brooklyn is the favorite in the CL.

[muns]

Originally Posted by TimGuru

Please continue to predict other teams than me, you cursed me last year.

I think my team will win more games but not be in the championship hunt. I have 3 SPs with astronomical STUFF but yellow CONTROL numbers. That should be interesting. The offense returns and is retooled from last year's sub par performance, I moved Evans back up to the 2 hole. Evans wins MVP in odd numbered years and I wouldn't mind that trend continuing. Zamora will play more. Berui cracks the ML roster as my #1 SP no less.

As usual, if I pitch better than the raw ratings would suggest, I have a chance to be a noisemaker. If my offense underperforms like last year, the noise you'll hear will be a thud at the bottom of the standings again.

Your not the first to say my predictions curse guys, which is one of the reasons i stopped doing a write up on my own team..... I curse myself....

I didnt pick either of those 2 teams to win, i just said they would surprise a few other teams in that division.

I think the CL is a total crap shoot this year. Usually there is 1 or 2 teams that grade out to look like they are a little bit better. This year though I see 1-6 as pretty even and can go anyway. Im really excited to see who comes out on top in the CL this year.

[muns]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

CHICAGO THUNDERSTORMS
1978: 80-74, 3rd in the RL
1977: 74-80, 6th in the RL
1976: 76-78, 4th in the RL
1975: 89-65, FOOL Classic Champions

It seems like just yesterday, that Dark Cloud took over FOOL's worst franchise in the City of Chicago. A decade later, the team has seemed like a contender so long, that folks in town can barely remember those long days and nights.

It's been four years since the team claimed its first FOOL Classic title and desiring his 4th FOOL title in a year where he claims he'll retire for good, DC went out during the off-season and made bold moves aimed at trying to head off the juggernaut in Hartford and rising clubs like Long Island, Columbus and Compton at the gate.

PITCHING
Despite last year's offense which was arguably the second best in the RL last year, the pitching staff was among the worst in the league. Management was poised to fix this by selling off key players and becoming aggressive consumers in the free agent marketplace. The result is a staff with more combined strikeouts than any staff in the history of the league.

Part of that owes to the fact that they are so old.

The ace of the staff is Guillermo Arrojo, who returns after signing a bit free agent deal last year. He went 10-7 in 26 starts last year, but realizes more is expected of him if the T-Storms are to contend for the league pennant.

Returning for his second tour of duty with the club is Floyd Yarbrough, who won a title with the team during his last stint in '75 and won another title the following year in Hartford. He went 11-11 last year and some pundits say he's washed up. He's out to prove he's got a lot left in the tank.

John MacDonald is the constant in the rotation and hopes to improve on his 10-4 record last year, in just 25 starts due to the 6-man rotation the team used last year. It'll be a 5-man this year for sure, however, and much more will be expected of him.

Ite Beens (14-12, 3.98 ERA) comes over from league rival Colorado. At 27, Chicago hopes he can be a linchpin in the team's title winning hopes.

Pedro Silva is 25 and will finally get his shot in the rotation. T-Storms Nation hopes that he can finally live up to the billing after being acquired two years ago from Valdosta for Mac Rasmussen.

Bob Halpin, who began his career in Chicago before being dealt to Compton (by then-Brothers GM Dark Cloud) returns to the Windy City 13 years and 199 wins later. He's expected to be an anchor in the rotation as well.

With that rotation and the league's 3rd best bullpen back again this year, the T-Storms are expecting pitching to be the reason the team succeeds.

BATTING

Offensively, the team is led by an extremely familiar face. After a two year hiatus, Mac Rasmussen is back in Chicago and plans to end his career in T-Storms blue. He's still an offensive force hitting .308 last year for Valdosta and is expected to be a key part of the offense.

Joining him as a returnee is Anthony Payton, who despite losing his partner-in-crime in the 'Bangers and Mash' combination in Joey Higman, still expects to be a key component of things after hitting 22 HRs and 92 RBI. Together he and Rasmussen accounted for 185 RBI last year.

Other key components include Fernando Herrera who was floated on the trade block, but ended up staying and will be expected to blossom into the offensive force the team has always hoped he'd be. He hit .280 last year with 17 HRs and 82 RBI from the 6th spot in the lineup.

Jeremy Rigsby has been as good as advertised as a stolen base threat and as a run scorer, scoring 103 runs last year on .283 hitting.

Also joining the club to play 1st base is former batting champ and all-star Rich Haas who hit .309 last year in Colorado.

Outlook: In the end, it's going to come down to the massive renovations that were done on the pitching staff to determine whether this team is going to be able to have the chops to hang with the rest of the RL all year. How the rotation goes, will determine where the team goes and well, that's such a crapshoot that it's hard to say.

The issue here isn't the quality of the team -- they'd be the favorite in any other year -- as much as it's the juggernaut to the east in Hartford. In the end, 'Pooner nation and New England will be too strong to allow the Windy City Noisemakers a chance to send their future Hall of Fame owner out on top.

Prediction: 2nd place, RL

As for me and Pooner nation, I think alot is going to depend on how my pitching goes and how I hit lefties. SP Roman Vitaliev comes in as the 5th starter and looks nothing like the 5th starer ive had for any of the past 3 seasons.

My pen is a heck of a lot shakier this year than the past three. I dont have the guys with the stats as im used to having. Sure they have the ratings, but if those dont translate, i dont know, makes me real nervous.

I think my hitting is fantastic against righties, but with the trading of the guys I dealt, i took a huge a hit against lefties.... That could be a pitfall.

Overall I think ill be in the 1-2 range, but i wouldnt be all that surprised if I didnt finish in first, and Chicago or Colorado had nice years... Ill be dissapointed, but not surprised.

Im still not sure why the game has crapped on Columbus. They all have ratings, im just wating for them to re appear again.

[Commo_Soldier]

Originally Posted by ekcut

Uggg...I have to agree with Commo (except for the 'hated Baltimore' part).

I don't think you were here when I started hating Baltimore. It was way back in 1966. My Brownstones were in a dead heat with NY at 90-61 with 3 games left. New York had to go and face tough Hartford team whom they were losing the season series to 7-12 at that point. I had to travel to face an easy Baltimore team whom I was 12-7 against. As the season finished Baltimore ended up sweeping me and New York was only able to win one game. Thus Baltimore cost me a chance to play in the FOOL Classic. Since then the any Brownstones team led by me has hated Baltimore.

[Young Drachma]

I love stuff like that. Rivalries are awesome, even if their origins aren't known.

[muns]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

I love stuff like that. Rivalries are awesome, even if their origins aren't known.

That is pretty damn cool to read.

[Young Drachma]

Sorta the same reason I hate Brooklyn, after they won a title from my Compton team, taking it from the Jaws of Life in the 13th inning of that Game 9 in '69. But it's not really "hate" since well...it was a close, hard fought battle against an opponent I respect. It's more like, we're linked. I sorta hate them like I hate the Phillies because the Blue Jays had to play them in the World Series. All business, nothing personal.

I guess I'm not as good at rivalries because I've been with several teams and have had to essentially remain unbiased the whole time.

[magic_number]

Too many good teams in the RL...500+ is it, unless some of the good boys grow up!!

[kaosfere]

Haven't felt up to writing a preview this year, but I'll give it a quick go.

My starting rotation is probably on par with what it was last year. We had to let Floyd Yarbrough go, but Manny López and David Simpson are still here and both improved. The bullpen, however... Julio Martinez lived up to his stats last year with a 2.24 ERA in 100 innings. Anthony Zijm refuses to believe that he's 36. Dave McDonald, Corey Templeman and Francisco Padilla are all stronger. I think I can fairly confidently say that we have the #1 bullpen in the CL. The question is whether the starters can give good games to them.


C Mark Shepherd appears to have pulled out of the years-long slump he was in before I picked him up, and will be getting the starting spot again this year. Yu-bao Tsu strengthened in the offseason and will start on the first bag. 2B Elmer Meyer is stronger this year. Abraham Lujan gets his old job back after earning a championship ring in Hartford and will be at shortstop.

In the outfield, we have finally had to do two sad things, and release Ron Lord and relegate Alejandro Corona to the job of pine-rider. We are glad his contract ends this year. Outstanding pickup Charlie Wilson will be manning center. In the corner positions, youngsters Akihiro Shimizu and Cade Numbers will platoon with veterans Eliott Richard and Randy Horswill.

In a bad year in the CL, I'd call us a contender. There are a lot of strong teams around now, though.

We'll be in 3rd or 4th place, hopefully above .500.

[Anthony]

i don't know how my team will perform give nthat i'm trotting out two dead bodies as my #4 and #5 SP. i don't think this is a championship calibre staff.

for some reason i keep winding up with OFs in the draft, as i can't seem to draft anyone i really want.

[Chief Rum]

I started to write up a preview last year, and then the sim started, and I stopped (especially since I did worse than expected).

So I am going to start writing one now and not look into the season sim thread until I am done.

[Chief Rum]

Atlanta Firecrackers

1978 Record: 77-77, 18.0 GB (4th in the CL)

The 1978 season was clearly a disappointing season for the management and fans of the Firecrackers, who were beginning to buy into their own press clippings. Since the arrival of General Manager Chief Rum before 1976, the team had seen nothing but success and a seeming progression toward the eventual goal of getting back to the FOOL Classic. Last year was to be the year the team really pushed for the prize. Alas, it was a mere afterthought in Baltimore's run to a championship, the constant second place companion dwindling further and further back with every passing day. Even more distressing to management was the performance down the stretch, an awful fall back to .500 and to fourth place.

It ended up being one of the worst seasons by a Chief Rum run team since he entered the league in 1964.

So Chief's response to this step back to mediocrity? Nothing, or about close to it.

"The talent is here," Chief said. "The kids just need to develop some more, and I am certain our vets will bounce back to seasons that are more along the lines that they have put up in the past."

That's not to say the Firecrackers are the same team. They moved to shore up the pen, which was surprisingly bad last season, and at press time, they were making a pitch to feast or famine power hitter Luther Palmer to handle duties behind the plate. But there were few gamebreaker additions, except perhaps the awaited arrival of vaunted rookie hurler Tu-Fu Qian.

STARTING PITCHING

If there was a player who's performance was indicative of the season the team would have, it was sometime ace Doyle Adams (15-10, 4.32, 155 K). Although Adams enjoyed some solid run support to lead the team in wins, he actually had perhaps his worst season in the bigs. He is expected to bounce back.

Adams will be joined again by the expensive Craig Davis (10-11, 3.88, 181 K), the steady Juan Matos (11-14, 3.85, 148 K), and the talented Miguel Vazquez (12-10, 3.97, 171 K). The four pitchers will be matched up in the Atlanta rotation now for the third straight season.

Qian (9-4, 1.68, 235 K) is easily the most talented pitcher in the organization, but scouts say he might have been rushed to the bigs. Expect early struggles. His arrival has forced the inconsistent and wild Karl Gates (5-11, 4.75) back to AAA Charleston, waiting for a new hole to open up in the rotation.

RELIEF PITCHING

Once a source of pride for Chief Rum, the pen stumbled badly last year, where pretty much not one single pitcher enjoyed a banner year, and many had their worst.

The emblem of that poor performance was closer Stan Miller (4-12, 37 SV, 5.74), who blew a shocking 10 save opportunities last year. Miller set the single season record for saves in 1976, but that couldn't save his job. He will be pitching in a setup role this year.

Miller's former setup man Stan Osborn (8-1, 3.43, 76 K in 81.1 IP) is the new closer. He, too, is coming off of his worst year, which shows how good he is. If he is anywhere near his averages, he will be a dominating closer.

Last year's top relief signing Chris Turner (5-5, 3.86) returns to his set up role, where he and Miller will set up Osborn.

Holdovers Kent Ramey (4-1, 4.29) and Maximo Lopez (2-0, 3.57) return to hold down steady, inning-eating roles in middle relief. They will get help from former Columbus reliever Edward Cummings (6.16 in 19 IP), who had his worst seaosn last year by far, but also didn't really see much time.

CATCHING

Last year, the answer behind the plate was supposed to be veteran Cris Segura (.276, 9, 24, .792 ops), who did a solid job in a platoon role. But he proved too expensive to resign, and was let go. Francisco Berru (.300, 4, 33, .804 ops) is a gamer who just does what he is asked. Right now, he seems likely to hold down the spot this year, unless the team signs Palmer, who has power to spare, but was fairly poor playing for Long Island's AAA squad. Palmer is an excellent hitter versus southpaws, and would be a good counterbalance for Berru, who is better against righties.

INFIELD

The team spent a lot of money on its infield last year, but it didn't show much in the standings. Individually, though, most of the players did well.

One of the main cogs for the past three years has been Eric Cherry (.296, 16, 98, .819 ops), whom has developed into a somewhat underrated run producer. Shortstop was shared partly by the sweet swinging Mike McIntosh (.311, 4, 28, .884), who should probably get more playing time. He can play anywhere in the infield, although most of his time is spent at short and third.

The remaining spots were held down by new faces last year, all of whom are back. Former Compton slugger Yoshi Kiyomizu (.252, 21, 95, .786 ops) handled third against lefties, and split time against righties. He didn't hit for as much pwoer as hoped, but he was an important cog in a lineup that carried the team for much of the season. Former Colorado prospect Earl Finch (.286, 8, 29, .852 ops) played second base against lefties, whom he just kills.

Two rookies had a major impact in the infield last year. Former 1B Larry Abbott (.280, 16, 55, .821 ops, 29 sb) is one of the league's top prospects, and the team is trying to teach him to handle 2B to get him in the lineup more. He will face righties, but, really, he should be starting, no matter the pitcher. Javier Rodriguez (.275, 13, 54, .769) played a lot of short and third in his first season.

OUTFIELD

Some of Atlanta's top talent remains in the outfield, where all three starters are either current or potential stars.

Last year was the official arrival of RF Steve Oliver (.318, 24, 74, .939 ops, 31 sb) as a superstar. His power numbers would have been far more impressive if he wasn't leading off. That part of his game is actually still developing. He is also blazing fast, and a Gold Glove caliber defender.

Jose Gonzalez (.279, 5, 27, .773 ops, 29 sb) may soon be a player to be reckoned with in his own right. He has a world talent, but is learning on the job. He was a key backup last year, but will start this season.

Longtime team star and name CF Carlos Vazquez (.231, 19, 68, .761 ops) suffered his worst season last year, and his deficiencies against lefties has forced him into a platoon with fish out of water Rodriguez, whom the team is hoping will be able to pick up some starts in center. Vazquez is still a dangerous hitter, though, particularly against righties.

Elvis Malone (.248, 3, 25, .670 ops) was a disappointment splitting time in center last year, and was relegated to a backup role this season, for which he may be better suited. Scott Myers (.229, 9, 47, .630 ops), like Malone a rookie last year, returns as the other outfield backup.

OUTLOOK

The team is essentially back from 1978, and is coming off of a .500 season, so it's hard to expect better. But Chief Rum insists the team underachieved last year, and will be better this year. He hasn't been wrong often. A similar team in Colorado in the late 60's suffered a setback in 1969 after going to the 1968 Classic, only to bounce back with essentially the same team to contend for the RL title in 1970, and set up three years of league championships in the early 70s. So there is precedent.

The problem is, this isn't the late 60's RL. It's the late 70's CL, one of the most competitive leagues in FOOL history. Expect improvement, but it will be minimal.

Prediction; 80-74, 3rd